Nventdr



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. L. BEERS.

ELECTRIC HOTEL CALL BELL SYSTEM. No. 338,697 v Patented Mar. 80, 1886.

INVENTDR WITNES 5E5 F4 4.

2 SheetsSheet 2.

Patented Mar. 30, 1886.

Fzjg.

J. L. BEERS. ELECTRIC HOTEL OALL BELL SYSTEM.

(No Model.)

|NVENTUR ro. 5 I. i m W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES LEMUEL BEERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC HOTEL CALL-BELL SYSTEM.

L BIPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,697, dated March30, 1886.

Application filed February 4, 'l8F5. Serial No. 154,929.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES LEMUEL Bnnns, of New York, in the county ofNew York and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements inElectric Hotel Gall-Bell Systems, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to hotel call-bell systems in which provision ismade, together with the ordinary call-bell and annunciator-circuits, forautomatically sounding a call at a predetermined time at thehotel-office, and also, if desired, at a particularly-designated distantpoint; and to that end it consists in the particulars hereinafter fullyset forth.

Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the case containing myapparatus; Fig. 2, an enlarged vertical section of the same on the lineat m, Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4, views of my fieXible conducting-cord; Figs.5, 6, 7, and 8, views in detail of my circuitchanging pins and springs;and Fig. 9 is a diagram of my electric circuits.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 repre sents the exterior of the caseor office-register containing my apparatus, which is ordinarily placedin the hotel-ofiice. The upper part of the case contains, besides a bellor gong, A, a number of ordinary automatic annunciatordrops, B, adaptedto be actuated by electromagnets B, two of which (numbered 10 and 12)are shown in Fig. 2, and also push-buttons G, by-mcans of which theoccupants of any room may be summoned at will. In the lower portion ofthe case are a number of round holes, D, each normally filled by anindicatorpin, E, upon the head of which is the number of a room, asshown in Fig. 4, and which is adapted also to fit into any one of anumber of half-hour series ofsets of perforations, F, radiating from anordinary clock-movement time-piece, G, as a center.

In order to more clearly designate the functions of these various parts,I will refer to the diagram of the circuits, Fig. 9, where from thebattery X the electric current flows through the electro-magnet A of theoffice-gong A, thence through the wire V, thence through the elevenpairs of closed-circuit spring-fingers F, thence through the pair ofopen-circuit (No model.)

spring-fingers F (if closed, as represented, by means of the metallicpin E, as shown in Fig. 6,) thence through the spring switch-wire f,projecting from the face of the case and adapted to be impinged onceevery twelve hours by the flexible spring attached to the extremity ofthe hour-hand g of the time-piece G, electrically connected with thewire V, back to the battery by means of the clock G, and wires V and X.

It is necessary, in order to complete the above circuit. that thehour-hand and one of the spring wires or switchesf of one of the branchcircuits V, electrically connected with the springs F which switches fare adapted to be automatically operated by the hour-hand g of the timemovement G, should be in contact, and also that in one of the radialseries of perforations F the manual circuit closing device F E must beoperated, and the pair ofopen-ci rcuit springs F should be closed bymeans of the pin E. Thus when the hour-hand 9 passes over the springswitch-wires f of branch circuits V, electrically connected with thewires F of the radial series of perforations adjacent to the figures 8,3:30, 4, 4:30, of the dial in Fig. 1, the electro-magnet A will not been ergized and the gong A struck, because the pairs of open-circuitsprings F beneath the perforations F nearest the dial of those serieswill be apart from each other, as shown in Figs. 5 and 9. If, however,the clerk of the hotel wishes to be reminded that a guest occupying,say, room No. 4, wishes to be aroused at any particular hour, as at fiveoclock, he simply has to place a pin E in the perforation nearest thefigure 5 of the dial, and then to remove a pin E, with the figure 4 onits head, from its hole D, and to place it in one of the same radialseries of perforations F, as is represented in Fig. 1, care being takennot to press in the pin E far enough to open the closed circuit springsF, when the officegong A will be loudly sounded at the hour designated,and on looking at the apparatus the clerk sees that room 4. is to becalled at five o clock, as shown in Fig. 1, the electric current goingfrom the battery X through the magnet A, wire V, springs F, springs Fand circuit-closing pin E, as shown in Fig. 6, switch f, hour-hand 9,Wires V and X back to the battery, as before described, the course ofthe current being indicated by the plain arrows.

If desired,the pins E may be dispensed with and the indicator-pins Esubstituted therefor.

In this case, however, the insulated plates cc of the pin E must beelectrically connected with each other by means of a wire.

Besides indicating numbers,or in lieu thereof, it is obvious that someof the heads of the IO pins Emay have letters or memoranda imprintedthereon. In addition, however, to sounding automatically the office-gongA at any predetermined time,I also make provision for ringing at one andthe'same time a bell in the apartment of the guest to be aroused, in

pin Eis placed in one of the perforations nearest the dial; but now itmust be putinthe one nearest the clock-figure 6. Then a pin E, with thefigure 10 upon its head, is removed. from its normal position in a holeD, and

placed in one of the radial series of perforations F, as is shown inFigs. 1 and 2. Now, however, the pin E is pushed in the perforation Ffar enough to open the closed-circuit springs F, (represented in theirnormal position in Fig.7,)and to cause them to assume the position shownin Fig. 8. A flexible cord,H, composed of two insulated wires, serves toconnect each one of the pair of closed-circuit springs F with arelatively-placed spring of the pair of springs D situated under one ofthe perforations D, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1, 4, and). N0w,whenthehour-hand gpasses over the projecting switch-wirefof one of thebranch circuits V, electrically connected with 4 the springs F" of theradial series now under consideration, not only will the office-gong Abe sounded, but a bell will also be'rung in room No. 10, theroom-circuit having been incorporated, after the manner of a loop, intothe main-office circuit,and the electric current taking the followingcourse: Starting fromthe battery X, the current passes through theelectro-magnet A of the gong A thence goes through the wire V; thencethrough nine pairs of closed-circuit springs F; thence through onedisconnected spring F; thence through one of the wires of the flexiblecord- H;,thence through one disconnected spring D;thence through wires Yand Y; thence through bell in room 10; thence through wire Y thencethrough the remaining springD and wire of cord H and spring F; thencethrough one pair of closed-circuit springsF; thence through springs Fand circuit-closing pin E and projecting switch wire f, and thencethrough the hour-hand g,wires V and X back to the battery, as isindicated in Fig. 9 by the single crossed arrows.

It is obvious that a number of other auxil- 6 5 iary room open circuitsand the bells connected therewith'and placed in a number of otherapartments may be successively incorporated by a series of loops intoand included in the above circuit, if desired, in a manner similar tothat and by devices equivalent to those described and shown. The radialperforations F may also, if preferred, be arranged so as to adapt thetime-piece to sound the alarm at intervals of tenor fifteen minutes.AlthoughI prefer to place the series of sets of radial perforations F,arranged to represent hours, and electrical connections appertainingthereto, near the time-piece G, yet I do not desire to confine myself tothat particular position, as they may obviously be placed elsewhere,ifdesired, and still arranged to be operated in the manner described.

It will be observed that the device consisting of the manualcircuit-closing means, consisting of the springs F pin E, and theautomatically-operated switch consisting of the hour-hand g and the wiref, constitute a switching mechanism adapted to be manually oper ated bymeans of the circuit-closing pin E, and also automatically operated at acertain designated time by the hour hand and therefore its constructionmay be varied, and in lieu of the springs F and pin E any ordinaryswitch or circuit-closing mechanism may be used.' Further provision isalso made in my organization for manually ringing the bell in any room(whether or not it is switched into the main circuit) by means of theoffice push-buttons O, the course of the current, in order to call roomNo. 12, being from the battery X through the magnet A, wires V V, bellin room No. 12, wire W, push-button 0, wires W and X back to thebattery, as is signified in Fig. 9 by the double crossed arrows. On theother hand, should the occupant of room No. 12 wish to call the oifice,he has simply to press the button P in his room, when the electriccurrent will start from the battery and pass through the magnet A, wiresV WV, push-button P, office annunciator-magnet B, adapted to operate theannunciatordrop B, and which is marked in the diagram No. 12, wires Viand Xback to the battery, as indicated by the triple crossed arrows.

The construction of the mechanism, and also of the circuits shown, maybe varied in minor particulars, provided there is no essential departurefrom the mode of action shown and described;

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The combination, .with a hotel-register placed in a main electriccircuit, said register containing an electric bell, A, and beingprovided-with perforations F, adapted to receive circuit-closing pins Eand indicator-pins E,

and also provided with a time-movement, G;

adapted and arranged to automatically operate anumberof electricswitches, f, of the branch circuits V, of the manually-operatedindicator-pins E, and the independent manual circuit-closingdeviceconsisting of springs F and pins E, whereby the circuit may be completedboth manually by the pins E and automatically by the time-movement 'G,and the alarm-bell A sounded at any predetermined time, substantially asshown and described.

2. The combination, with the circuit of an office-bell, A, and with atime-movement, G, adapted to automatically operate a number of switches,f, of branches V of said circuit, and with the manual circuit-closingdevices consisting of the springs F and pins E, whereby the circuit maybe completed both manually by the pins E and automatically by thetimemovement G, and also with a number of auxiliary room open circuits,each provided with a bell, of the springs F, pins E, and flexible cordH, whereby one or more of said loop room-bell circuits may besuccessively incorporated into the main-office circuit, substantially asand for the uses and purpose shown and described.

3. The combination, with the circuit of an oflice-bell, A, and with atime-movement, G, adapted to automatically operate a number of switches,f, of branches Vof said circuit, and with the manual circuit-closingdevices consisting of the springs F and pins E, whereby the circuit maybe completed both manually by the pins Eand automatically by thetimemovement G, and also with a number of auxiliary room open circuits,each provided with a bell, of the springs F, pins E, and flexible cordH, whereby one or more of said loop room-bell circuits may besuccessively incorporated into the main-office circuit, and the officemanual push-buttons 0, adapted and arranged to operate the room-bellcircuits, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, with the circuit of an officebell, A, and with atime-movement, G, adapted to automatically operate a number of switches,f, of branches V of said circuit,

said loop bell-circuits may be successively incorporated into themain-office circuit, of the push-buttons P, adapted and arranged tooperate the circuit of the bell A and aununciator-magnet 13,substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, with the time-movement G, radial series ofperforations E, circuit spring-fingers E, pins E, and hour-hand g, ofthe projecting wire f and circuit-wires V, V, and X.

6. The combination, with the time-movement G, radial series ofperforations E, circuit spring fingers F, pins E, hour hand g,projecting wire f, and circuit-wires V V, of the double flexible cord Hand auxiliary circuit YY and alarm mechanism located thereon,substantially as described.

7. In an electric call-bell system of the character herein specified,the combination, with a main electric circuit, and with a case orregister containing a bell, A, time-movement G, a half-hour series ofradial perforations, F, contiguous to the time-movement, perforations D,pins E and E, automatic drops B, and push-buttons O, of the auxiliaryelectric connections and circuits connected therewith, and arrangedsubstantially as shown and described.

JAMES LEMUEL BEERS. \Vitnesses:

JOHN HENRY Pnons'r, Arman ROSEYELT DE MATT.

